There is again a very high tension in the Middle East. Before dawn, Israeli police entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and clashed with worshipers, sparking a violent reaction from Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and cross-border attacks in Gaza, as well as angry reactions from the entire Arab world. The raid on the mosque, which is the third holiest place in Islam, was carried out on the eve of Ramadan and Passover, further exacerbating the situation.
In response to the police operation, at least nine rockets were fired from Gaza overnight during the night, prompting Israeli airstrikes to hit what Hamas says are weapons production facilities and violently blast along the coastline that shook the world. blocked by Tel Aviv. Witnesses said Israeli tanks also bombed Hamas positions along the border fence in the southern part of the Strip. Israeli security forces arrested and took away more than 350 people who locked themselves in the holy place in Masjid al-Aqsa. “The police have done a good job,” said National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, leader of the far-right Zionist Otzma Yehudit Jewish Force party.
The situation seemed to have calmed down at dawn, but the Palestinian Red Crescent said 12 Palestinians were injured, including rubber bullets and beatings, in clashes with police, adding that Israeli forces prevented paramedics from reaching the area, Reuters reported. area. “The police fired tear gas and sound bombs in the courtyard of the eastern part of the campus, it was a sight I cannot describe,” Fahmi Abbas, who believes in the mosque, told the agency. “They went in and started beating everybody. They laid people on the ground and laid the youngsters face down, while they continued beating.” Videos circulating on social media, which Reuters could not independently verify, show fireworks going off and police beating people in one of the mosque’s buildings. Police video showed police entering the building as fireworks went off in the dark.
Israeli police said in a statement that security units would be forced to enter the compound after “masked protesters” locked themselves inside the building with fireworks, sticks and stones. “After many repeated attempts to remove individuals from the mosque through dialogue, the police had to enter the compound to remove the individuals,” the police said. “While the police were on the compound, stones were thrown inside the mosque and many fireworks were set off by many lawbreakers and rioters,” the police said.
Thousands of worshipers spent the night on the Temple Mount, where the Masjid al-Aqsa is located, fearing possible Passover conflicts with Jewish visitors to the area revered as the Temple Mount, the site of two ancient Temples of Judaism. Under the longstanding “status quo” agreement governing the area Israel says it protects, only Muslims are allowed to worship, while non-Muslims are allowed to visit the cordon. The Foundation, the organization appointed by Jordan and managing the complex, described the police actions as “a clear attack on the mosque’s identity and its function as a Muslim-only place of worship”. “The raid by the occupying forces on Al-Aqsa Mosque and the brutal attack on worshipers requires urgent Palestinian, Arab and international action,” said PLO secretary Hussein al-Sheikh, adding that “everyone needs to realize their responsibilities.” to protect the holy places and the believers from the tyranny of the occupation”.
“The extremist approaches that control the Israeli government’s policy will lead to widespread conflicts with the Palestinians if they are not terminated,” the league’s general secretary, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, said in a statement. The clashes in Al-Aqsa Mosque in 2021 ignited a 10-day war between Israel and Gaza. Turkey also condemned the Israeli security forces after the clashes in the Masjid al-Haram. In a statement made by the Ankara Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it was said, “These attacks against those who pray in Masjid al-Aqsa during the holy month of Ramadan are in no way acceptable.” The government is asked to “immediately stop all provocations and attacks”. The incident has already added to a heated political atmosphere as Israel grapples with weeks of internal tension over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hotly debated plans to limit the Supreme Court’s powers. Over the past year, Israeli forces have arrested thousands of people in the West Bank and killed more than 250 Palestinians, while more than 40 Israelis and three Ukrainians have died in Palestinian attacks.
Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
